In 1923, Coco Chanel stepped off a cruise to Cannes with a sunburn, and the press read it as fashion. The first commercial suntan lotion, L'Oréal's Ambre Solaire, followed in 1935, according to the Science Museum. Colour from the sun became something you could wear, and we have been working out how to have it safely ever since.

A tinted sunscreen is the neatest answer I know. The DRMTLGY tinted moisturizer is a good place to start, because the brand is clear about what it is: a hybrid sunscreen, mineral and chemical together, with zinc oxide at 12 percent and octinoxate at 7.5 percent, plus hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and vitamin E. It says the coverage is sheer, not full, and that one universal tint adapts to different skin tones. The brand describes itself as designed with dermatologist oversight, and its board includes Dr. Ariana Eginli and Dr. Jarett Casale.

The trick is to choose the finish, then the filter. The Universal Tinted Moisturizer SPF 46 is the dewy version, and the Matte Universal is for skin that shines by noon. The Physical Tinted Moisturizer SPF 44 is the mineral one, and Day Dream SPF 40 is the mineral sunscreen made for sensitive skin. SmrtSun SPF 45 is the lightweight anti-aging one. Add the Hydra Stick for reapplying over makeup and the SPF 25 lip balm, and the Luminous Eye Corrector SPF 41 for the eye area. That is a whole day of sun care in your bag.

Here is a rule for any tinted sunscreen: do not judge it on the back of your hand. Put it on your jaw in daylight, walk to a window, and check that the tint matches your neck. A shade that is right on your wrist can be wrong on your face.

The other tinted moisturizers with SPF each behave a little differently. Laura Mercier's Long-Wear Tinted Moisturizer is the one for a natural dewy finish, and NARS's Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is its glowy cousin. MERIT's The Uniform is a tinted mineral sunscreen at SPF 45, which I like for anyone who wants a sunscreen first and a skin tint second. Tower 28's SunnyDays is a tinted sunscreen foundation at SPF 30, a little more coverage for the days you want it.

bareMinerals' Complexion Rescue is the classic that many people already have a shade of, and Clinique's Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator, at SPF 25, is the lightest of the group. Carte Blanche's Multi-Hyphenate is a brightening mineral tint at SPF 35, and Origins' GinZing at SPF 40 is the energising one for early meetings.

A pairing I like: a mineral tint like MERIT's on the face, and the DRMTLGY lip balm and Hydra Stick from the first grid in your bag for touch-ups. Sun care is really about the second application.

What I would skip: relying on any tint alone for a long day at the beach. Wear a proper sunscreen underneath and treat the tint as the finish.

Start with the amount. The American Academy of Dermatology says to use about a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face and reapply every two hours, and DRMTLGY's own guide suggests a nickel-sized amount. Those two numbers are not the same, and a thin tint layer that looks like nothing is unlikely to be either. Pair a skin tint with a proper sunscreen underneath, and let the tint do the colour.

That is what makes these skin tints work: they are light, so they are made for layering. Kosas's BB Burst is a gel cream with copper peptides, Hourglass's Veil is the hydrating one, and Fenty Beauty's Eaze Drop is a blurring skin tint that I would try if you like a soft focus without a matte face. Charlotte Tilbury's Unisex Healthy Glow is the tinted moisturizer for anyone who wants a healthy-looking glow, and the name says it is not only for women.

Anastasia Beverly Hills' Beauty Balm is a serum-boosted skin tint, Laura Mercier's Tinted Blur Balm has peptides and a blurring finish, and Ami Colé's Skin-Enhancing Tinted Moisturizer is the one I would compare with the rest for a skin-like finish.

A pairing I like: a skin tint on the centre of the face only, then a cream blush on the cheeks only where you want colour. It looks like your best day, not a full base.

What I would skip: a sheer tint as your only sun protection on a summer holiday. It is a finish, not a shield.

A habit worth borrowing: take your tint off at night, every night. Tinted sunscreen sits on the skin all day, and a real cleanse at the end of it is what keeps it from clogging.

DRMTLGY makes the rest of a routine, and the names tell you the plan. The Essential Face Cleanser is the first step. The Vitamin CE + F Daily Antioxidant Protection Serum goes on in the morning, under your sunscreen. FacialRX Daily Peel Pads are the exfoliating step and the HPR Firming and Smoothing Eye Cream is for the eye area. At night the Peptide Night Cream is the hydrating, firming moisturizer, and the Soothe & Recovery Face Cream is the restorative barrier moisturizer for skin that feels raw.

The Makeup Primer No.1 is a pore-minimizing primer for the days you wear more than a tint, and the Hydration Booster 10X Hyaluronic Acid Serum is a hydrating serum you can layer under anything.

A pairing I like: the Hydration Booster in the morning, a tinted moisturizer over it, and the Soothe & Recovery cream at night. Three products, and none of them fight with each other.

What I would skip: using the peel pads and an exfoliating toner on the same night. Choose one, and wear your sunscreen the next day.

I think a tinted sunscreen is the one product that earns its place in a morning routine, because it turns a chore into a finishing touch. The DRMTLGY tint is where I would begin if you want a sunscreen first and colour second.

Choose dewy or matte by how your skin behaves at 3 pm, use enough of it, and reapply at least every two hours, which is what the label says. Chanel walked off a boat with a sunburn and the world called it style. You can walk out the door with a tint and skip the burn. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together The Best Tinted Moisturizer With SPF Finally Merges Two Steps Into One and The Best Tinted Moisturizer for Mature Skin, Since Laura Mercier's 1996 Idea.